Statistically Speaking: Hurricanes, Oil, Infrastructure

by Bill Chameides | October 24th, 2008
posted by Erica Rowell (Editor)

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When a hurricane strikes, it’s big news. Neighborhoods and homes are destroyed; people and pets are stranded; then the aftermath — people returning to pick up the pieces. But there’s another important story told less often: the damage hurricanes do to the oil and gas infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico.

The 2005 hurricane season, one of the worst and costliest on record in the United States, gave us Katrina and Rita. Both hurricanes strengthened to a Category 5 status with sustained winds reaching 175 miles per hour. By comparison, the 2008 season is shaping up to be relatively mild — with no storm larger than a Category 2 in the Gulf and only one, Hurricane Ike, damaging offshore equipment. How vulnerable is our oil and gas infrastructure in the Gulf to storms? Here’s a look at the numbers from 2005 and 2008.

	Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (2005)	Hurricane Ike (2008)
Category of hurricane in the gulf (max wind speeds)	3 to 5 (up to 175 mph)	1 to 2 (up to 110 mph)
Infrastructure in path of storms	3,000 platforms	1,450 platforms
Drilling rigs hit with extensive damage or set adrift	19	1
Drilling rigs destroyed	8	4
Production platforms with moderate damage	Not tracked	60
Production platforms with extensive or major damage	163	35
Production platforms destroyed	116	54
Production platforms never put back in service	150-200	To be determined (TBD)
Damage incidents to pipelines	542	TBD (initial reports have 9 pipelines with damage)
Amount spilled offshore	740,000 gallons	TBD (initial reports of 8,400 gallons)
Amount spilled at onshore support facilities	9,000,000 gallons	TBD (initial report of about 260,000 gallons)
Oil production before storm	1.5 million barrels per day	1.3 million barrels per day
When oil production was restored post-storm	Restored to 80 percent, 8 months after storm (final report 5/6/06)	Restored to 60 percent, 5 weeks later (as of 10/13/08)
Lost production during shutdown period	153.5 million barrels	TBD

 

Notes

Drilling rigs are used to explore for oil, test fields, and drill wells.  Production platforms are used to extract oil from a well once it begins producing oil.

 

Sources

Assessment of Fixed Offshore Platform Performance In Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, May 2007 -
www.mms.gov/tarprojects/578/MMSProject578-Final Report.pdf

Climate of 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season -
www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2005/hurricanes05.html#katrina

Dina Cappiello, Frank Bass, and Cain Burdeau, “Ike Spills Half a Million Gallons of Oil,” October 5, 2008 -
www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1847378,00.html

Hurricane Gustav/Hurricane Ike Activity Statistics Update – October 16, 2008 -
www.mms.gov/ooc/press/2008/press1016.htm

Hurricane Katrina/Hurricane Rita Evacuation and Production Shut-in Statistics Report as of Wednesday, May 3, 2006 -
www.mms.gov/ooc/press/2006/press0503.htm

“Interior Secretary Gale Norton Reports on Gulf of Mexico Energy Status,” U.S. Department of the Interior News, October 4, 2005 -
www.mrm.mms.gov/Intro/PDFDocs/20051004.pdf

Minerals Management Service Updates Number of Offshore Facilities Impacted by Hurricane Ike, October 7, 2008 -
www.mms.gov/ooc/press/2008/press1007c.htm

MMS Updates Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Damage, May 1, 2006 -
www.mms.gov/ooc/press/2006/press0501.htm

Pipeline Damage Assessment from Hurricane Katrina/Rita, March 22, 2007 -
www.mms.gov/tarprojects/581.htm

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Letter & Report to Congress: Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund Hurricane Impact, May 8, 2006 -
www.uscg.mil/ccs/npfc/docs/PDFs/Reports/osltf_report_hurricanes.pdf

filed under: faculty, oil, Statistically Speaking
and: hurricanes, oil drilling